Happy Birthday .UK Domains!

Saturday 10th June marks the third birthday of .uk domains. Initially launched to a fanfare by Stephen Fry the move to a .uk extension was lauded as reflecting ‘the appeal of shorter, sharper .uk domains among those at the forefront of digital Britain.’

The introduction of this new domain was arguably the most significant change to the UK domain scene since Nominet commenced its governance in 1996.

At the time, Nominet stated “The new .uk is for people who want a short, memorable domain with the popular and trusted .uk ending. We know this combination appeals to our tech-savvy, digitally-engaged population.

“When asked if they wanted .uk to be an option alongside. co.uk, 72% of businesses questioned said yes. The UK is the world’s most internet-based major economy and it’s certainly one of the most active and fast-changing too – 67% of our current registrations are less than five years old. We can’t wait to deliver this addition to the UK namespace and continue to build its contribution to the UK’s digital economy.”

In the 3 years since the .uk domain was released, the extension now makes up around 20% of our uk registrations and provides users with another country specific domain option.

So why chose .uk?

With Google putting an emphasis on local results, having a .uk extension can be more beneficial than a .com, .net or similar.

Another factor can be branding. If you want to protect your brand online, registering your .uk domain name will protect your brand from cybersquatters for a low cost. The .uk extension can also act as a great country specific domain for your UK business and is shorter than the traditional .co.uk TLD.

Cost can be a reason to purchase a specific domain. .uk domains are typically a lot cheaper than .com or .net with average savings being around the third of the cost.